


higanbana

by nobantrai



Series: shut into night, falling to nowhere alone [1]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, M/M, ghoul!hyuck, human!mark, jisung is jaemin’s baby, thank you tokyo ghoul wiki for that refresh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:09:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26333161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobantrai/pseuds/nobantrai
Summary: talk about being clueless to the fact that your best friend, whom you have a crush on, has been a ghoul this whole entire time. well then again, that's just mark for you.or; just a random tokyo ghoul au cause the author needs a pick me up.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Series: shut into night, falling to nowhere alone [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012128
Comments: 18
Kudos: 82





	1. trouble down in itaewon

**Author's Note:**

> so i’ve just been a writing slump as of recently, and this has been sitting in my wips for who knows how long. i wanted to get back in the groove again so here i am doing this.
> 
> i honestly haven’t watched/read tokyo ghoul in a hot minute, but tokyo ghoul wiki has blessed me with the information i needed. anyways, i hope you guys enjoy this :)

_" **another ghoul attack has occurred near the itaewon area once again. two bodies were found on the scene, both reportedly dead—the perpetrator still yet to be found. the ccg have yet to make a statement on this attack—** " _

"hey hyuck! look at this, there's been another one." mark called out to his best friend from their couch. he was trying to pay attention to the news while tossing the leftover pork bun he had thrown into the microwave a few moments prior between his hands. hissing at the overly hot bun, he continued his little game of hot potato until donghyuck trudged into their living room.

attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes, donghyuck squinted at the brightness radiating off the tv screen. he tried to piece together the words that the anchor was saying, but his remaining drowsiness prevented him from even getting a coherent sentence out of the tv.

"huh?" deciding that standing up was too tiring, donghyuck plopped himself right next to mark and slumped into his side. he'd given up trying to make sense of the news—besides, bugging mark was much better. he sighed at the instant warmth radiating off of the other, snuggling in further only to elicit a whine from mark.

"stop that, you're gonna make me drop my precious pork bun." donghyuck looked up from where his head was awkwardly placed in the crook of mark's elbow and chuckled at the latter's glasses being precariously placed on his face. it was cute.

"five second rule, dumbass." he retorted with a weak snort.

"we haven't vacuumed since last monday, this floor is dirty as shit hyuck." mark says, flicking donghyuck's forehead before taking a bite out of his pork bun. "ah—fuck, hot."

"not my fault. it was technically your turn to vacuum the place last week." the older of the two rolled his eyes and pushed donghyuck's head off so that they were in a more comfortable position.

"i was busy with grading worksheets, that's why i asked you to do it for me and that i'd repay you with that death coffee you like so much."

"i wasn't listening so it didn't count."

mark let's out an exasperated sigh, "why do i still put up with you?"

"because you love me, that's why." donghyuck quickly retorts, a lazy shit eating grin on his face.

"you're insufferable." as much as mark tries to hide the bit of red spreading to the tips of his ears, there was no use because donghyuck just had that effect on him whether he liked it or not.

since the two met in student council back in high school, they've been stuck together by the hip. most people wouldn't think a pair like them wouldn’t make it out alive without tearing each other's throats out first, but to everyone's surprise, here they are, friendship as strong as ever. the overwhelmingly childish banter was just their brand—what made their friendship a little more unique than the usual doting ones out there.

through the time they've spent together as a duo, it has only made sense for one to slowly see the other in a new light. a light tinted pink, that revealed things mark wouldn't have thought of if he wasn't pining over his best friend. like how he wanted to kiss every single little mole that littered the boy's pretty tan skin, or how he's been zoning in on just his voice, as if he was singing some lullaby when in actuality he's probably spouting off about something trivial.

no, he hasn't spoken a word of his crush to anyone, and he thinks it's better that way. he didn't need to let his feelings ruin what they had built. mark wasn't about to let go of donghyuck like that. he would rather suppress these stupid feelings and keep donghyuck close to him than express them and losing donghyuck while he's at it.

but sometimes, when donghyuck and his stupidly charming self comes waltzing in like he was in cinderella or some shit, his walls slowly crumble down leaving him a vulnerable mess. flushed and heart beating a thousand miles a minute.

three words that would describe mark perfectly is a 'love sick fool'.

"oh, what did you mean by 'there's been another one'?" donghyuck questions, seeing as the channel has gone into commercial breaks already.

"another ghoul attack in the area." mark responds after taking another bite of his pork bun. "just wanted to tell you to be careful when coming home from work today since i know how late they can keep you back."

donghyuck grins, instantly reaching out to pinch mark's cheek while cooing loudly. "awe, you care so much about me hyung! and here i thought you wanted to throw me out of the window."

 _how could i ever?_ he thought to himself, but said, "i do, but i don't wanna get locked up nor go through the mess of planning out your funeral."

the younger let out a sound that was equivalent to a dying seal and smacked mark upside the head. "asshole." he huffed, scooting away from mark.

cue mark rolling his eyes for the second time in the span of fifteen minutes. "just be careful alright hyuck? really."

donghyuck softened at the genuine concern laced throughout the latter's words. mark was never the one to like being teased as much as he was, but donghyuck was the only exception. besides, donghyuck has grown quite the liking towards a flustered mark. it was cute and totally worth the slap on the arm if you ask him.

"i know, i know. i'm not a kid anymore, mom. now get your ass to work already. doesn't class start at seven?" donghyuck gestures over to the ugly pororo shaped analog clock nailed into the wall above their tv, hands showing the time of six forty five. (it was a housewarming gift from mark's mom so they had to keep it.)

mark's eyes widened upon realizing that he was for sure going to be late if he didn't start getting ready now. with a curse under his breath, he stuffed whatever was left of his breakfast into his mouth and set off back into his bedroom to get ready.

letting out a quiet chuckle, donghyuck got comfortable on the couch again replaying the adorable mess that was mark lee, puffed cheeks and all, in his mind over and over again.

**-**

it wasn't like donghyuck was the best at hiding who he truly was, mark was just that dense. the latter never questioned how little he would eat or how he'd sometimes disappear all night once every one to two months, only to come back the next morning. donghyuck didn't know whether to be thankful or concerned at how clueless his best friend was.

for the longest time now, donghyuck was able to live among humans peacefully with little trouble even though he is a ghoul himself. he has to give thanks to his work manager and mentor kim doyoung, for helping him through this whole lifestyle.

having a diet consisting of human flesh with the exception of coffee and water, donghyuck had to be extra cautious with what he does around humans that he does befriend. humans meaning mostly mark, the only human who has stuck with him for this long.

as cliche as it may be, donghyuck works at a coffee shop with other ghouls like himself. the joint was pretty small and would count as a hole in the wall type of shop, which he didn't mind. in a way, it made the place that much more special and homey.

"hyuck, can you help me with these new shipments here? and call over jaemin too! that flirt better know that this isn't a place for his endless affairs now." doyoung calls from the back, voice kind of strained.

"got it!" donghyuck yells back, then fixates his attention on his fellow blue haired worker spouting off cheesy lines to some girls in a booth. there are times in where donghyuck wants to chuck his shoe at the other, and he was so close to doing too, but he reminds himself that this is a professional environment. doyoung would have his head if he misaims and hits one of his antique porcelain sets up on display. so groaning in annoyance, he takes a deep breath and walks over to jaemin. "yo, doyoung hyung wants us out back to help with bringing in the boxes." he says, slapping his shoulder for good measure.

a petulant whine left the other's lips as he turned to donghyuck with a pout. "but i'm trying to get their orders."

"right,” donghyuck says, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “but hurry up prince charming. doyoung hyung is going to skin you alive if he doesn't see you back there in five minutes." 

"five minutes is all i need." jaemin says easily, averting his gaze back to the two girls still giving him mega heart eyes. "now where were we ladies?"

meanwhile, in the back, donghyuck was hauling in two boxes of coffee beans into the storage room. the rich bitter smell of the beans left him sighing in satisfaction. unlike mark, who always scrunched his nose up at the smell, he loved the smell. besides that, it was enough to hold back his cravings for human flesh.

"hyung, did you hear about what happened last night?" his other coworker, jisung, asks as he paces himself beside him with his own set of boxes.

"yeah. it was on the news this morning." donghyuck places down the box in the storage room and stands up straight again, stretching his back a bit to hear the satisfying pops.

jisung follows his actions as well, huffing a bit when hauling the boxes onto a preexisting stack.

"do you think the angels are behind this?"

donghyuck scoffs, "which other group of ghouls would so openly kill someone like that sung? man, they really are a pain in the ass to deal with. some ghouls like us just want a peaceful life, but _no_."

"ghouls like us aren't meant to have peaceful lives anyways." the sudden appearance of jaemin's voice was enough to cause both of them to flinch, gazes flitting over to the blue haired ghoul. "as long as we still crave for human flesh, our lives are going to be complicated and unfair. simple as that."

both jisung and donghyuck frowned at jaemin's downcast stare. as much as the latter shows off his easy smiles and sweet words, there's still a part of him who knows that what he is, isn't normal. he holds a bitterness towards what he is, and it's all because of one person.

"hyung, what happened to je—" donghyuck stops jisung from continuing on by pinching one of his cheeks.

"what did we say about talking about he-who-must-not-be-named around nana huh?" donghyuck scolded, and from the corner of his eyes, he could see jaemin's eyes turning completely black save for the ruby red pupils for a second before returning to their normal dark brown. "apologize."

jisung bows his head slightly, a pout on his lips and hand rubbing the spot where donghyuck had pinched him. "sorry hyung, i didn't mean to mention him."

jaemin faces the younger after setting down his set of boxes and walks over to him. "it's alright jisungie. i could never get mad at you for long anyways." jaemin did have a total soft spot for their youngest worker; then again, everyone that worked here had a soft spot for jisung. "now, that we're done with this, why don't i make you your favorite?"

jisung immediately perked up at the mention of his favorite drink, a doppio expresso made with arabica bourbon coffee beans. the boy enjoyed the other types of coffee they brew, but it's just the nice bitterness and deep earthy aroma, along with a natural sweet undertone of the drink makes jisung all giddy inside. and jaemin was the only one that is the best at making the drink, hence his excitement.

"really? you mean it hyung?" the older nodded, eliciting a toothy smile from jisung.

donghyuck one the other hand, watched the scene in front of him unfold with a fond expression painted onto his features. one day, when he was ready, he was definitely going to tell mark about this part of him, and bring him in to meet his family here at the coffee shop. but for now, he'll wait.

he'll be patient.

**-**

when donghyuck arrived back home, he was greeted by a rather chirpy mark. very much unlike his usual zombie-esque appearance after dealing with angsty teens all day. toeing off his shoes to the side of their front door, donghyuck makes his way over to mark sitting on the couch grading papers, while nodding along to some song playing out loud from his phone.

"what's got you in such a happy mood, hm?" donghyuck asks, plopping himself next to mark.

mark looks up from his pile of papers and sent donghyuck a gentle smile, "i was just excited to give you this." donghyuck hadn't noticed it before, but there was a paper bag wrapped in a pretty yellow ribbon placed near the edge of the table, which mark picked up to hand to him.

taking the package into his hands, he tried of thinking of any occasion he had missed. it was none of their birthdays, and neither was it christmas. they do have a friend-iversary but that already passed like months ago. pushing those thoughts aside for a moment, he opens up the bag and pulled out a pin.

it was a sunflower that was completely silver save for the engravings in the metal being a shade darker. the pin was about the size of his palm and weighed a fair amount; not too heavy and not too light.

donghyuck looked up at mark," i don't remember any special occasions today. did i really just forget something important?" he started to slightly panic, because he didn't get mark anything.

mark seemed to notice his nerve stricken expression and chuckled lightly, sending him a smile that caused his heart to go all warm and fuzzy.

"no, there's no special occasion." mark answers and donghyuck inwardly sighs in relief. "i just saw it on the way home and i just couldn't help it. i thought you'd really like it on that leather jacket you have."

donghyuck's expression softened, "thank you. i'll pin it on right now actually." he drops off his backpack on the side of their couch and rushed into his room. he rummaged through his closet until he pulled out the aforementioned jacket, letting out a sound if success while doing so. after pinning the sunflower onto its collar, he donned the jacket and walked out to show mark.

waltzing out in front of mark, he took a dramatic spin to show off the pin. and even though his leather jacket looked a bit weird with his bright yellow sweatpants and batman t-shirt, mark thought donghyuck looked ethereal, but then again when didn't mark think that of him?

"looks neat, huh?"

"definitely." and with that, the two spent their night together huddled on the couch; donghyuck occasionally giving mark a hand in grading papers but mainly playing games on his phone, while mark focused on grading papers and his lesson plans.

being a teacher was hard, mark wasn't going to lie about that, but in a way it was rewarding. seeing his students grow from barely being able to pronounce 'fireworks' without adding an extra syllable at the end, to being able to keep up a casual conversation with him in english made his heart swell with pride for his students.

maybe one day, when the school holds their annual spring festival again, he could persuade donghyuck into coming with him. the kids would probably get along with donghyuck merrily as the two were mischievous as hell. not to mention their penchant for teasing and annoying mark until he's ready to rip his hair from right out of his scalp. _donghyuck would probably be good with kids right?_ he thinks to himself, unconsciously grinning at the thought.

"what you smiling about?" donghyuck's voice cuts him out of his thoughts. "last time i checked, correcting grammar mistakes is nowhere near fun." the boy was resting his head on mark's lap, as the rest of his body was splayed out on the unoccupied side of their couch.

mark looked down at donghyuck and it took everything within him to not sit there and stare like an idiot. "i was just thinking about how my students would get along with you if i ever get to introduce you to them." he admits, dropping his pen onto the table then leaning back onto the couch.

"how so?"

"you both like to push my buttons." donghyuck chuckles at mark's rather blunt answer, but he couldn't say that mark was wrong.

"well, i can't help it. your reactions are cute." glancing up at mark, he can see traces of a blush forming on his cheeks. mark was—no _is_ cute. "see? you're already blushing." he reaches up with one of his hands and pokes at the warm flesh.

mark pushes donghyuck's hand away from his face, turning his face to the side so that he didn't have to look at the other. sometimes he hates when donghyuck is like this. playing with his heart and refusing to give it back. and sometimes, he thinks it would've been better if these stupid feelings hadn't existed in the first place.

"stop that and get back to your stupid game or whatever. i got like another stack of papers to grade." a pout stuck out on mark's face and donghyuck only laughed again, staring at the other with a sense of fondness. and to believe this guy tried to be 'intimidating' in their high school years.

this boy was really giving glares to any student every chance he got back then, but loosened up a bit when donghyuck took a poke at his ego and told him he looked like an enraged baby simba; which in theory, is as scary as a baby bunny.

oh how the times have changed.

“whatever you say, mark.”

**-**

the next morning at work, donghyuck swore doyoung looked more stressed than usual. the man had his apron on reverse, his hair looked like he walked right through a tornado, and he was restlessly pacing around; so much to the point donghyuck thought the guy would be able to sand away the tile flooring and dig himself a hole. donghyuck knew something was up when the guy didn't even flinch when jisung accidentally dropped one of his antique cups.

“did doyoung not hear that or…?” jisung stares at their boss in utter bewilderment.

“i think he’s a little...occupied to really notice anything right now.” another coworker of donghyuck’s, hendery, says. the boy is actually working part time, but is still pretty familiar with doyoung’s antics. and this? this was _weird_.

seeing as there was definitely something up with the elder, donghyuck decided to volunteer himself to go check up on doyoung.

his fist raps against the wooden door hesitantly. for a second, he thought of coming back later when the latter would hopefully calm down. but all of that was washed away when doyoung’s voice answered a curt, “come in.”

walking in, donghyuck expected to be greeted by the sight of doyoung’s clean and tidy office. in where the books on the shelf would be organized in alphabet order while the items on his desk would be in their designated places. instead, donghyuck was surprised to see his office in quite the disarray. files were flung carelessly onto his desk, a couple of empty coffee cups remained unwashed and stacked up in a small tower. the man himself was too busy scrutinizing his phone screen to give donghyuck any attention, much less his surroundings.

it took another call from donghyuck for doyoung to finally snap his head up to meet his gaze. and from the get go, doyoung’s eyes seemed apprehensive, which was way over left field from his usual stern nonchalance.

“what’s going on hyung?”

“it’s nothing much, hyuck. don’t worry about it.” 

_nothing my ass._ donghyuck rolls his eyes, “if it was nothing, i wouldn’t even be here right now. so please, tell me something. everybody’s worried about you.”

doyoung visibly loosens up a bit, eyes softening at the boy’s words. donghyuck may be always trying to get on his nerves, but that doesn’t change the fact that he cares about him very much. he was sure jaemin, jisung, and hendery were worried too, and he couldn’t possibly leave them in the dark for too long.

“it’s taeyong.” doyoung finally says, voice heavy. “the angels got a few really bad hits on him.”

donghyuck’s eyes instantly widened. he knew that angel business was serious, but what were they thinking attacking a member of the ccg? and out in the open like that, with no means of hiding who they were? 

“and this happened when?”

“last night. we were walking home after picking up some dog food for ruby, and out of nowhere we were attacked. we were outnumbered….and they got to him before i could do anything.” doyoung looked about ready to burst into tears, and donghyuck came to his side immediately. “that idiot…”

donghyuck rubs comforting circles into doyoung’s back, telling him that taeyong was going to be okay. the guy was in the ccg for crying out loud, so donghyuck was _sure_ he would get through it.

“what exactly did they do to him?”

“they fractured his forearm and thankfully only sprained his ankle. the rest are pretty minor but...” the elder proceeds to take in another long breath of air. “i still can’t get the image of him out of my head.” 

it was hard to see doyoung like this. donghyuck always knew the man to be kind of aloof, but had a big heart nonetheless. especially to those close to him. doyoung had helped him countless times, more than he could ask for.

“i’ve talked to yuta earlier and he says the angels are closing in apparently. i had originally thought they were targeting him because taeyong is in the ccg, but they weren’t even interested in him except for the fact that he kept getting in their way.” doyoung’s eyes flitted over to the window behind his desk, out looking onto the backways of itaewon. “i believe they’re—“

“targeting _us_.” donghyuck finishes, his eyes widening.

“exactly. i don’t know what will happen next but please tell the others to be careful when heading home; you too. we don’t know how much knowledge they actually have on us, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

donghyuck nods wordlessly, letting the news sink in. the angels _knew_ about them. they are _targeting_ them. if they aren’t careful, who knows what can happen.

leaving doyoung’s office after their little talk left donghyuck an anxious mess. the angels were making moves on on them, and who says they wouldn’t hit people close to them. his mind instantly thought of mark. mark was well aware of the attacks going on, and had requested to leave early due to that. donghyuck hasn’t heard anything about it yet, and the thought of mark being in the angel’s clutches made him grip onto his apron until his knuckles were pearl white.

walking back out to the floor, hendery, jaemin, and jisung momentarily stopped what they were doing and all gave him curious glances. they were lucky that business was slow today, meaning there were moments like this where the shop was empty save for them.

“the angels has eyes on us.” he cut straight to the point and watched as his coworkers’ faces morph into a collection of shock and confusion. “they intercepted doyoung and taeyong yesterday and beat taeyong up pretty badly. doyoung wanted me to tell you guys to be careful from now on, because we don’t know just how much they know about us.”

from where donghyuck was standing, he could practically see jisung’s hands start to tremble on his lap. hendery had his brows furrowed in thought, and jaemin was merely expressionless. the room was drenched in a stiff silence. no one dared to speak a word until jisung finally did.

“does...does that mean we might get attacked?” his voice was small, very much unlike his usual talkative self.

donghyuck nods solemnly. jisung, unlike the rest of them, had very minimal training and was still not used to having a chimera kagune. the boy has trouble controlling them, and the last thing he wanted to do was to accidentally hurt someone. neither did he know how he would fare in an actual fight, leaving him with bouts of worries stacking up in his mind.

jaemin notices jisung’s nervous state and moves to take a seat on the stool next to his. having known jisung way longer, it was natural to see jisung relax a bit.

“does doyoung know _why_ they’re after us though?” hendery asks, leaning against the counter.

“not a clue so far.”

**-**

something didn’t feel right.

something didn’t feel right the moment mark stepped out of the school building and took the subway home. the air was way chillier than before and he wondered why he still felt so cold even in his thick coat.

he knew that it was dangerous for him to be out this late, but he couldn’t pull out early from work today no matter how hard he pleaded with his boss. almost no one was out that night, having already gone inside to avoid any possible attacks.

mark held on tight to the straps of his backpack, as he was suddenly hyper aware of everything around him. from the flickering orange street lights to the slight rustle of bushes lined up on the sidewalk. any movement he caught in his peripheral got turning his head to the source, only to find nothing.

looking up ahead, a familiar cross section caught his attention and the nerves he was feeling before melted away. he was close to home. just a few more minutes and he’d be in the safety of his apartment reheating the kimchi jjigae donghyuck had made the night before. 

everything was going to be fine.

**-**

"alright! i'll be heading out now! bye hyung!" donghyuck waved at doyoung, who was wiping down tables but paused to bid him goodbye.

"bye, make sure to keep an eye out tonight. you never know when an angel can strike." doyoung warns, a look of concern directed towards the boy.

"i know. i can defend myself, so don't worry about it." again, donghyuck waves at doyoung and walked out of the shop, breathing in the cool air outside.

see, donghyuck wasn’t quite worried about himself, more or so he was worried about mark. all he hoped for was that his boss had granted him the request of leaving early, and that he’d be at home grading papers or curled up on the couch watching some old american sitcom.

there were very few people out on the streets, but donghyuck understood why. increased ghoul attacks could only equal to humans trying to make it home before nightfall. he should deem himself lucky that he was a ghoul, because at least he stood a chance.

unlike mark, donghyuck didn't need to take the subway and had no problem walking home. their complex wasn't that far from his work anyways.

donghyuck was about ten minutes away from home when his phone started to buzz like crazy. furrowing his brows, he fished his phone from out of his back pocket, expecting it to be jisung spamming his messages with game invites and 'threatening' memes. but, no, that wasn't the case.

his screen lit up with ten messages from 'the only human i like' as more were coming through at a rapid fire pace.

**_hyuck?_ **

**_you home yet?_ **

**_uhm, i think someone's following me_ **

**_can you call rn?_ **

**_hyuck?_ **

**_oh my god i just got fucking goosebumps_ **

**_hyuck please pick up the phone_ **

**_i beg of you_ **

**_please don't be in the shower or something_ **

**_fck hyvk_ **

**_sHT IM RNNIG HCK PLASE_ **

at that point, donghyuck was trembling in fear as he hastily pressed onto the call button while silently _praying_ that the figure didn't get to him yet. he would never forgive himself if mark got hurt and he could've done something about it.

it was probably a couple seconds before mark picked up but _god_ did it feel like hours. his heart was beating so fast; he didn't even think he was breathing correctly.

"mark! where the hell are you?"

" _the intersection five minutes away from our place—shit, it's a fucking ghoul hyuck—fuck!_ " donghyuck could only hear mark yelp and a loud thump in which he could only assume was him dropping his phone.

he cursed to himself and quite literally _bolted_ to the intersection.

"stay with me mark! if you can talk, please say something to let me know you're okay!" donghyuck pleaded, forcing his legs to move faster because _mark is in danger_.

he was a mere minutes away and that's when he smelled it. it smelled absolutely divine, and his mouth involuntarily watered at the sudden aroma filling the air around him.

" _h-hyuck..."_

donghyuck snapped out of his trance once the elder boy's voice rang out of his phone. he was pretty sure his eyes weren't their normal shade of brown anymore, as his senses were filled with none other than mark. fortunately, a commotion was heard not to far ahead and all donghyuck could think about was getting mark to safety and deal with the ghoul that dared to approach mark in the first place.

and if it meant revealing who he really was, so be it.

he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw mark trying to crawl away from the ghoul, blood painting the concrete floor below him while his backpack was thrown quite far away from him. the ghoul probably sensed his presence and turned with a scowl on his face, "move it. this one's mine."

next thing he knew, he saw red. the absolute anger that flooded his veins after seeing mark helplessly on the ground _hurt_ because he couldn't make it time. and the audacity that ghoul had to treat mark like some prey. a mere piece of meat made for consumption.

he felt the tendrils of his kagune form behind him and dive straight for the other ghoul standing a mere few feet away from him. normally, he wasn't one to kill off another ghoul or even eat them, but the pure adrenaline and burning rage that coursed through him pushed him to do so. the tendrils easily pierced through the other’s body, causing him the scream bloody murder.

yet his screams fizzed out into the night once donghyuck pulled the guy back, right into his clutches. bleeding profusely while trying to form his own kagune and heal at the same time, donghyuck whispered lowly into the other's ear; his tone holding enough venom to kill. "yours you say? _don't make me laugh._ "

donghyuck didn't hesitate to bite down onto his skin right after, ripping it off with little effort. the flesh was rough against his tongue, and anything but what he prefers, but he was too angry to care much.

on the other hand, mark sat on the floor utterly terrified at the sight in front of him. his breath was caught in his throat while watching donghyuck literally tear the ghoul into pieces. the latter's kagune worked with quick precision, pulling apart the ghoul's limbs one by one, making sure the process was anything but painless. blood splattered anywhere it could reach; on the floor, lampposts, windows—donghyuck was ruthless.

mark wanted to throw up. the food from earlier was rising up his throat and he quickly turned to the side, emptying out the contents of his stomach as he tried to erase the grotesque image from his mind. but he couldn't. it was like it was burned into the back of his eyelids, refusing to disappear no matter how hard he tried.

this couldn't be right. the donghyuck he knew had a smile rivaling the sun. the donghyuck he knew was a baby that whines too much for his own good. the donghyuck he knew was _human_.

even though the proof was right in front of him, he refused to believe. then, his mind just had to supply him with an even more terrifying thought; was donghyuck going to eat him?

did donghyuck just befriend him just to turn on him once he's gained all of his trust? he wanted to slap himself for only noticing the signs now. eating only tiny portions of food. his weird obsession with deathly black coffee. occasionally not coming back home until morning. what the hell was he even thinking? of course the boy he had fallen head over heels for just had to be a whole freaking ghoul.

if anything, his life could probably pass for a horror comedy flick, he thought bitterly to himself.

a hand on his shoulder made him flinch as he jerked his head back to face his roommate in all his ghoulish glory. fresh blood was still glistening on his lips and his mind had the audacity to still think donghyuck was still pretty.

"mark? are you..." he purses his lips, gaze landing somewhere on the concrete instead of him. "are you okay? no major injuries?"

mark didn't know what to say. he just figured out that his whole ass roommate slash best friend slash crush was a ghoul. what _could_ he say? _oh hey, red looks rather ravishing on you?_

donghyuck sighed, seeing mark was still in a state of shock. _the guy just witnessed you rip apart another ghoul. of course he’s gonna be scared, dumbass._ his mind supplies helpfully.

"look, i...i don't expect you to be okay with this. okay with me anymore—hell, this was not the way i wanted to tell you that i was a ghoul." he let out a heavy sigh, running his blood stained fingers through his hair. "i understand if you want to just run away right now and that's okay if you do. i'll go somewhere else if that's what you want just—please talk to me." donghyuck was desperate. he didn't want to lose mark so soon, but if he was going to be happier that way, then so be it. all he wants is at least a final goodbye, so he isn’t just left hanging for any thought to poison his mind.

mark finally found it in himself to process donghyuck's words while trying to form his own. his voice was still the same honey toned voice he'd hear every day. either albeit through a commercial jingle under his breath while cooking or through a playfully snide comment. everything was the same yet so different and his mind couldn't handle to mull everything over right now. so he just, blurted out whatever came to mind.

"leave...just, go..."

donghyuck resisted the urge to fall onto his knees and beg for mark to take it back, but he knew he couldn't. so straightening himself up, he turned the other way and left. just as mark told him to do.

it was for the best.


	2. always the same hyuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a little distance, a little talk, and a lot of doves.

the next two weeks were just a painful waiting game on both ends. donghyuck tried to get his mind off of everything by working himself down to the bone, while mark put off anything work related until the last minute. anyone who knew of them grew concerned, especially when they looked like zombies at every waking moment.

mark was probably on his fifth coffee that day, and he didn't even _like_ coffee. _but donghyuck does._ he takes another big gulp of the bitter drink then drops his tumbler back onto his desk with a loud clunk. mark was a mess. he was fully aware of that fact but he still couldn't wrap his mind around the events that occurred around two weeks ago.

the blood that stained donghyuck's skin, sticky and gruesome. the ghoul that he tore apart, completely leaving nothing but bone and bits of tendons and muscle. the way he looked at him when he told him to go away. but he couldn't shake the fear; the possibility of donghyuck doing that to him.

“—ee? mister lee!” mark snapped out of his daze to return his attention to a student of his standing in front of his desk.

“what? i’m sorry, can you please repeat that again?”

the student gave him a concerned look but proceeded on with their question anyways. “for this, you would have to use the word ‘an’ instead of ‘a’ because the next word starts with a vowel, right?”

mark just nodded his head, agreeing wordlessly with her. a smug grin spread itself on her lips as she turned around and yelled, “ha! take that jihoon! i was right.”

it was met with some incoherent whines that mark would rather not try to decipher, because this growing headache was already putting him in a bad mood. to try and relieve some of the pain, he buries his head into his arms that were crossed on his desk. 

“um, you okay there, teach?” mark looked up to see the whole class looking at him, worried. some looked more confused than others and he didn’t blame them. he hasn’t been feeling the same ever since that night.

“i’m fine guys, don’t worry about it. just a headache is all.” his students gave each other skeptical looks but decided not to push any further.

**-**

from work to home, mark decided that he needed someone to talk to. and he knew exactly who.

mark snatched up his phone from beside his whatever number mug of coffee that day, and pressed onto a contact he hasn't heard from in a long while. a few rings later, a raspy voice appeared on the line.

" _mark? why are you calling at 2 o'clock in the fucking morning? don't you have work tomorrow?_ "

"jeno. i need to ask you something." mark says instead, ignoring his initial question. 

a beat of silence from the other end until he heard a bit of shuffling. " _go on._ "

"remember that boyfriend of yours? back in high school?"

a sharp inhale, " _yeah. what of him?_ "

"how...how did you deal with him being a ghoul and all?" he asked unsure, while playing with a stray thread at the end of his shirt.

" _i can't believe you're pulling this shit on me at 2 in the fucking morning,_ " another long sigh. " _it wasn't that hard really. he knew how to control himself and he was...really really careful with me. told me that i should know what i was getting myself into and everything before we made anything official. it took a while to get used to living around him, but i....i loved him nonetheless—fuck, i honestly think i still do."_

mark new a bit about jeno's dating history back in high school, and that was only because of one drunken night in their dorm during sophomore year of college. jeno had gotten way into his feels that night and kept on rambling about this jaemin kid to no end. to be fair though, mark was also drunk and wasn't listening to half of the things jeno was spouting off about. lucky for him, he caught on to the key part in jeno’s rants: jaemin being a ghoul.

apparently, their fall out wasn't pretty and left jeno absolutely devastated.

jeno clears his throat, "anyways _, i just reminded myself that even though he's a ghoul and that i was practically living in a danger zone everyday then, that he's still the same person i grew so fond of. i love him enough to risk it, and damn was it worth it...i just wished he was still here with me. shit, if it weren't for that asshole—_ "

mark cut him off with a light chuckle. the most lighthearted he's been since the whole incident.

just hearing jeno talk about jaemin like that, memories of his own started to flood his mind. everything from donghyuck’s toothy smiles, shared ever since they were young, to his playful remarks that kept a constant in his life. looking at it now, donghyuck a millions of chances to hurt him yet he didn’t. not once was he even close to, but he guessed the spontaneity of that night put his mind into a downwards spiral to the point all he could focus on was his fear.

"i see now." jeno hummed, prompting him to keep going. "gosh, i was just so scared you know? two week ago, a ghoul was following me home and my roommate intervened at the last minute. everything happened so fast and i didn't know exactly _what_ to feel when he turned out to be a ghoul himself."

" _let me guess, seeing as you're alive right now, he attacked the other ghoul and fled right after, scared that he would do something to you next?_ "

"something along those lines." mark answers. "he was surprisingly calm after the whole thing, asking me if i was okay and everything. i was the one that told him to leave, and fuck, i should've just told him to stay and heard him out."

" _it's okay hyung. i'm sure he would understand where you were coming from. i couldn't say i wasn't a bit scared at first, but that's normal. just talk to him alright? take one step at a time and make sure to communicate._ " jeno advised, and it was enough to give mark that little push of hope.

and while mark delved into the subject even more with jeno, not too far away from the complex was donghyuck, curled up into jaemin's side while a huge blanket draped over the two. some movie was playing on the younger's laptop as he gently combed through donghyuck's hair.

"just give him time. knowing from what you tell me about him, he doesn't seen like a person to abandon you without saying something first."

"i'm just hoping it's soon." donghyuck murmurs, snuggling further into jaemin's hold and basking in the warmth he was providing. "and thank you nana."

"hm? what for?"

"for just being there for me. i know i always make fun about you being an ‘emotions are overrated’ kinda guy, but you really are a great friend to have around. you take care of everyone so well.”

jaemin smiles fondly at the words, tilting his head so that he could press a chaste kiss on the crown of donghyuck's head. "i don't mind being here for you at all. that's what friends are for right?"

"yeah...now, can you make that fancy japanese coffee tomorrow? you've been spoiling jisung so much, it's time for me to get spoiled."

”you clever little fox. you only buttered me up didn’t you?” jaemin reaches down to pinch the older’s cheek.

”ow! no, i promise it wasn’t!” the giggle that slipped out afterwards was enough to tell jaemin that donghyuck wasn’t buttering him up. or maybe jaemin never needed buttering up in the first place.

though disheartened, donghyuck knows he could wait and he will. when mark finally decides to contact him and sort everything out, hopefully in a way in where they're still friends at least. as long as they aren't strangers, he'll be content.

but for now, he needs to make sure mark is safe even if it was from afar. the ghoul attack two weeks ago was no coincidence much to his chagrin. the day after, a letter was sent to the shop addressing the ghoul he cannibalized the night before. it was taunting, telling them that this wasn’t the end of it. that they wouldn’t stop until they get _him_.

who ‘him’ was, was still a mystery among them. donghyuck knew it was wrong to assume, but he can’t help but think doyoung was this ‘him’ the angels were alluding to. he was the first one to be attacked, and he’s _way_ more knowledgeable on ghoul organizations around here. it would make sense if he accidentally slipped up somewhere with the angels, and now they’re out to get him. only question was, _what_ did he do?

the next day at work was... _interesting_ to say the least. donghyuck was busy pouring coffee into a cup until he heard the door chimes sound off. without looking, he assumed it was just another customer and greeted them with their usual greeting.

“welcome to blüte, how may i help you today?”

“we aren’t for coffee, _ghoul_ .” donghyuck’s head snapped up so quickly, he was sure he got whiplash because, _what in the name of—?_ it seemed that they gained jaemin’s attention too, as he left the rag he was using to move towards donghyuck.

there across the counter of him were none other than the doves, or ccg as they’re known to the public. in front of him stood three guys in their signature white coats, and the short one standing closest to him was sending him the nastiest glare.

before the guys could get in another word, the door bursts open again. “hyuck!” it was mark, inhaling air as if he just ran a whole marathon. (which he might as well did) “we—oh.” his eyes landed on the doves and he had to rub his eyes twice to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

it seemed like jaemin was already ahead of him when he whispers, “just go to the back room. the others shouldn’t be in for another hour, so take your time. leave the doves to me.”

donghyuck had never been so thankful for having a jaemin in his life, but at the same time he gives jaemin a look that read ‘if something goes wrong, i’ve got your back’. he whispers back thanks and gestures for mark to follow him to the back. the latter awkwardly maneuvers around the trio of doves and follows donghyuck through a dimly lit hallway, then through a door to his left. the room they arrived in had natural light filtering through the windows, casting shadows on the vintage furniture around them.

donghyuck moved to sit on one of the couches that faced the window, and for a moment, mark just stood there staring blankly at the other. he was glad that donghyuck still looked fine, unlike him with his eye bags and two day old clothes. god, he’s a mess.

“so...are you gonna sit or…?” donghyuck motions to the couch across from him awkwardly, not really knowing what else to say. then again, the two just went on weeks without talking to each other. and the last time they saw each other wasn’t much of a great time per se.

“right! sorry.” mark hastily shuffles over to the other couch, settling himself onto it.

for a while, the two couldn’t even look each other in the eye. the tension was so suffocating, yet no one seemed to know where to start.

“so—“

"i'm sorry—" the two spoke at the same time, and the tension seemed to break just like that when donghyuck let out a little chuckle. mark’s body relaxed at the sound, as the corners of his lips slowly pulled upwards.

“you go first.” donghyuck prompts after ridding his nerves. “i would assume you have a lot of questions.”

mark fiddles with his fingers a bit before saying, “yeah. i do, but i just wanted to apologize first.”

donghyuck responded with a confused look. "what are you sorry for? if anything, i should be the one who should be apologizing for hiding this part of me for so long."

"no, hyuck, i should've heard you out instead of turning you away so quickly like that. it was a dick move—"

"it wasn't. it was completely reasonable. hell, i'm sure most people would hightail it out of there once they found out their friend was a ghoul." he argues. "i won’t blame you for wanting to distance from me after this too."

donghyuck expression fell after his last sentence, expecting nothing more from this than a bittersweet goodbye. but that wasn't the case for mark as he stood up, crossed over to donghyuck’s side, and engulfed him in a tight embrace. mark had never felt so happy breathing in donghyuck’s rich coffee scent, and to believe he hated it.

"hyuck, i could never hate you. you've had so many chances to hurt me but you didn’t, and i'd say that's enough proof to tell me that you're worth it. hell, you killed a ghoul _for_ me." the younger cringed at the thought of him mercilessly tearing the ghoul apart and uttered a quick apology for the scarring sight.

mark quickly dismissed it and tightened his grasp around him. "ghoul or not, you're still my hyuck. the same one who fucking clowns me for using stickers when grading my students work but still steals them anyways, or hums that dumb banana milk jingle for the sole purpose of annoying me—point is, i'm not going to leave you just because you happen to be a ghoul. you mean too much to me for me to let you go.”

and that was enough to let a wave of relief wash over donghyuck like a cool breeze during summer. at the same time, his heart warmed immensely, throwing away any doubts he had prior. wrapping his own arms around mark, he let himself melt within his hold. "fucking sap, i hate you.”

with that mark pulled away and slapped the latter on the arm lightly, "shut up."

"make me." donghyuck challenged, a familiar smirk growing on his lips. and they’re back to their usual selves again. a never ending cat and mouse game.

"i would but how can i guarantee you won’t bite my lips off?” mark retorted, raising a brow to emphasize his point even further.

donghyuck rolled his eyes. “i’m a ghoul, not a fucking heathen, mark.” then his eyes widened once he fully processed mark’s words. “did you say...lips? why—why would i bite your lips off?” he sounded more panicked if anything, heart picking up its pace in his chest.

it seemed like mark hadn’t quite thought his words through either and bursted out in a violent blush, spreading from his cheeks to his ears.

“cause—cause i would kiss...you…?” god, someone please shut him up before he digs himself a deeper hole. seeing how donghyuck starts to turn pink too, he covers his own face and mutters, “oh my gosh, i’m so sorry. that was out of pocket.”

_stupid mark, you just_ had _to do that huh? not even an hour of fixing things and you’re already fucking things up—_ mark’s thoughts promptly cuts off by something soft and warm being pressed against the back of his hands. 

as soon as it left, his hands fell from his face to stare at donghyuck in utter shock. was that what he thought it was? or was he so embarrassed that his mind supplied him with some delusions to fall into?

donghyuck breaks out in a small grin, reaching out for mark’s hands and interlacing their fingers together. “maybe another time? the doves are outside still and i honestly don’t know how long they’ll last before they start pulling out their quinques.”

speaking of the doves, mark ponders on why they were here specifically. then the obvious reason dawns on him when the sound of muffled shattering glass resonates from behind the door.

that’s when he makes eye contact with donghyuck and from that, he knew that getting out of here might be a bit harder than he originally thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took a little longer than i had originally thought—i honestly think it’s because i wasn’t quite satisfied with the endings i came up with, but at last i settled for this one. as you can tell, it’s a bit of a cliffhanger which means....i am planning on expanding on this world a bit more!
> 
> idk when the next parts will come out but i do know that i want to expand on this :) any who, i hoped you guys enjoyed this nonetheless. let me know what you think!
> 
> [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/renjammies)

**Author's Note:**

> i hope that was okay for the first part? i’m actually working on the second part rn, so it should be out soon too!
> 
> y’all can either comment down below or [cc](https://curiouscat.qa/renjammies) me if you just wanna scream at me or something, idk ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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